Comstock Holding Companies, Inc. - Annual Report: 2017 (Form 10-K)

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

(Mark One)

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017

or

For the transition period from                  to                 

Commission file number 001-32375

Comstock Holding Companies, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

1886 Metro Center Drive, 4th Floor, Reston, Virginia 20190

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (703) 883-1700

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    ☒  Yes    ☐  No

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K    ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer”, “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (check one)

If an emerging growth company, indicate by checkmark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

The aggregate market value of voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant based on the last reported sale price of the registrant’s common equity on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“NASDAQ”) on June 30, 2017, which was the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was $3,472,127. For purposes of this computation, all officers, directors, and 10% beneficial owners of the registrant are deemed to be affiliates. This determination of affiliate status is not necessarily conclusive for other purposes.

As of April 20, 2018, there were 3,374,461 outstanding shares of the registrant’s Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share, and 220,250 shares of the registrant’s Class B common stock, par value $0.01 per share.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement for the 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders or Annual Report on Form 10-K, to be filed within 120 days after the registrant’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K.

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COMSTOCK HOLDING COMPANIES, INC.

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2017

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PART I

CAUTIONARY NOTES REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Some of the statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K include forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “may,” “likely,” “intend,” “expect,” “will,” “should,” “seeks” or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based largely on our expectations and involve inherent risks and uncertainties including certain risks described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. When considering those forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the risks, uncertainties and other cautionary statements made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement, which speaks only as of the date made. Some factors which may affect the accuracy of the forward-looking statements apply generally to the real estate industry, while other factors apply directly to us. Any number of important factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include: general economic and market conditions, including interest rate levels; our ability to service our debt; inherent risks in investment in real estate; our ability to compete in the markets in which we operate; the market conditions in the markets in which we operate; regulatory actions; fluctuations in operating results; our anticipated growth strategies; shortages and increased costs of labor or building materials; the availability and cost of land in desirable areas; adverse weather conditions and natural disasters; our ability to raise debt and equity capital and grow our operations on a profitable basis and our continuing relationships with affiliates.

Many of these factors are beyond our control. For a discussion of factors that could cause actual results to differ, please see the discussion in this Annual Report on Form 10-K under the heading “Risk Factors” in Item 1A.

Item 1. Business

The following business description should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Financial information for each of our reportable segments is included in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements.

Throughout this annual report on Form 10-K, amounts in thousands, except per share data, number of units, or as otherwise noted.

Overview

Comstock Holding Companies, Inc., incorporated in 2004 as a Delaware corporation, is a multi-faceted real estate development and services company primarily focused in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. In 2018, the Company has made a strategic decision to transform its operational platform from for sale production homebuilding to asset management, commercial development and complementary real estate related services. Moving forward, the Company will operate through two primary real estate focused platforms – CDS Asset Management, LC (“CAM”) and Comstock Real Estate Services, LC (“CRES”). Concurrently, the Company intends to wind down its on-balance sheet production homebuilding. References in this Annual Report on Form 10-K to “Comstock,” “Company”, “CAM”, “CRES”, “we,” “our” and “us” refer to Comstock Holding Companies, Inc. together in each case with our subsidiaries and any predecessor entities unless the context suggests otherwise.

Available Information

We make available, as soon as reasonably practicable, on our website, www.comstockcompanies.com, all of our reports required to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These reports can be found on the “Investor Relations” page of our website under “SEC Filings” and include our annual and quarterly reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q (including related filings in XBRL format), current reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements and amendments to such reports. In addition to our SEC filings, our corporate governance documents, including our Code of Ethics for the Chief Executive Officer and senior financial officers and Code of Conduct applicable to all employees and directors are available on the “Investor Relations” page of our website under “Corporate Governance.”

Our principal executive offices are located at 1886 Metro Center Drive, 4th Floor, Reston, Virginia 20190 and our telephone number is (703) 883-1700. Information on or linked to our website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K unless expressly noted.

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Our Business Strategy

Our business strategy to transition to a full-service asset manager and real estate services company involves the initial integration of our existing homebuilding operating platform with the commercial development operating platform of the Chief Executive Officer’s private company and thereafter to grow our assets under management and expand our service based relationships. To anchor our new business focus, on March 30, 2018, the Company entered into an initial Master Asset Management Agreement (“AMA”) effective January 2, 2018, through its CAM subsidiary, with Comstock Development Services, LC (“CDS”), an entity wholly owned by the Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Under the AMA, CDS will pay CAM an annual cost-plus fee in an aggregate amount equal to the sum of (i) the employment expenses of personnel dedicated to providing services to CDS’ private portfolio pursuant to the AMA, (ii) the costs and expenses of the Company related to maintaining the listing of its shares on a securities exchange and complying with regulatory and reporting obligations as a public company, and (iii) a fixed annual payment of $1,000,000 (the “Annual Fee”). In connection with the execution of the AMA, CDS paid CAM a deposit in the aggregate amount of $2,500,000 pursuant to the Agreement that will be credited against the Annual Fee to be paid to CAM in accordance with the Agreement. The initial term of the Agreement will terminate on December 31, 2022 (“Initial Term”). The Agreement will automatically renew for successive additional one-year terms (each an “Extension Term”) unless CDS delivers written notice of non-renewal of the Agreement at least 180 days prior to the termination date of the Initial Term or any Extension Term.

Entering into the initial AMA is part of the Company’s strategic plan to transform its business model from for-sale homebuilding to asset management and commercial development. In addition to the AMA, CRES continues to organically grow and pursue acquisitions of businesses and assets that provide supply chain services to assets under management pursuant to AMA as well as to unrelated third parties in the areas of environmental consulting, mortgage brokerage, and capital market services.

We believe that we have several strengths that distinguish our updated business strategy:

These business units work in concert to leverage the collective skill sets of our organization. The talent and experience of our personnel allows workflow flexibility and a multitasking approach to managing various projects. We believe that our business network in the mid-Atlantic market provides us with a competitive advantage in sourcing and executing investment opportunities.

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Our Operations

We believe that we are properly staffed for current market conditions and that we have the ability to manage growth as market conditions warrant. Our operations are focused mainly in the mid-Atlantic region, where we believe our over 30 years of experience provides us the best opportunity to enhance stockholder value.

Our Managed Communities

Reston Station. Reston Station is among the largest mixed-use, transit oriented developments in the Washington, D.C. region. Located at the terminus of phase I of Metrorail’s Silver Line, Reston Station is already home to more than 1,000 residents, numerous businesses, multiple retail establishments, and several restaurants. With more than 1 million square feet of completed and stabilized buildings, more than 2 million square feet of additional development in various states of entitlement, development and construction, and a 3,500-space underground parking garage and transit facility adjacent to the Wiehle Reston-East Metro Station, the Company is providing a wide variety of its real estate management services to the project under the AMA. For more information about Reston Station, visit: www.RestonStation.com.

Loudoun Station. Loudoun Station represents Loudoun County’s first Metrorail connected development and has approximately 700,000 square feet of mixed-use development completed, including hundreds of rental apartments, approximately 150,000 square feet of retail, restaurants, and entertainment venues, 50,000 square feet of Class-A office space, and a 1,500-space commuter parking garage. Loudoun Station represents Loudoun County’s beginning transformation into a transit connected community with direct metro rail connectivity to Dulles International Airport, Reston, Tysons Corner, and downtown Washington, D.C. Located at the terminus of Metrorail’s Silver Line and with more than 2 million square feet of additional development stated for Loudoun Station; construction of its next phase of apartments and commercial space will commence in the second quarter of 2018, with the Company providing a variety of its real estate management services to the project under the AMA. For more information about Loudoun Station, visit: www.LoudounStation.com.

Herndon. On November 1, 2017, a subsidiary of CDS entered into an agreement to acquire, develop, and construct a mixed-use project in downtown Town of Herndon. The project upon completion is anticipated to consist of approximately 500,000 square feet of mixed use development. The Company will provide a variety of its real estate management services to the project under the AMA.

Shady Grove Metro. Commencing in the 2^nd quarter of 2018, we intend to convey 110 multifamily dwelling units in Rockville, Maryland adjacent to the Shady Grove metro rail station to a joint venture. Thereafter, the Company will provide a variety of real estate management services to the project.

Our Recent Acquisitions to Perform Services

On July 17, 2017, JK Environmental Services, LLC (“JK”), an entity wholly owned by CDS Capital Management, L.C., a subsidiary of the Company, purchased all of the business assets of Monridge Environmental, LLC pursuant to an Asset Purchase Agreement dated July 14, 2017 for a purchase price of Two Million Forty Thousand Dollars ($2,040,000). JK has its principal office located in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, and operates in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. JK will continue to operate as an environmental services company, providing consulting, remediation, and other environmental services to its clients.

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Our Developed Communities

We are currently operating, or developing homebuilding projects in multiple counties throughout the Washington, D.C. market. The following table summarizes certain information for our owned or controlled communities as of December 31, 2017:

Northern Virginia Market

The Estates at Falls Grove and The Townes at Falls Grove projects are located in northern Prince William County near Centreville, Virginia. The properties were developed as 19 single family homes and 110 condominium townhouses. We closed on all 19 single family homes and 110 condominium townhomes as of September 2017.

The Townes at Hallcrest is a community located in Sterling, Virginia. The property was developed as 42 townhomes. We closed on all 42 townhome units as of February 2017.

The Estates at Leeland is a community located in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The property is being developed as 24 single-family units. As of December 31, 2017, we have closed on 12 units and have 1 unit in backlog. We intend to sell the remaining unsold lots to a homebuilder under a third party land purchase agreement.

Marrwood East is a residential project in Loudoun County, Virginia. The property is being developed as 35 single-family units. We are actively selling in this community and as of December 31, 2017, we have closed on 19 units and have 11 units in backlog.

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The Towns at 1333 is a community located in Alexandria, Virginia. The property is being developed as 18 condominium townhome units in this community. We are actively selling in this community and as of December 31, 2017, we have closed on 4 units and have 2 units in backlog.

The Townes at Richmond Station and the Condominiums at Richmond Station are projects located in Prince William County, Virginia. We currently plan to develop 104 townhomes and 54 multi-family lots on this site to sell and deliver to third party homebuilders under land purchase option agreements. Development is expected to commence in Spring 2018.

Maryland

The Estates at Emerald Farms consists of 84 finished single-family lots that we own in a large development of single-family homes in Frederick, Maryland. We closed on all 84 homes as of July 2017.

The Townes at Shady Grove Metro and Momentum | Shady Grove are residential projects in Rockville, Maryland, adjacent to the Shady Grove metro rail station. The projects will be developed as 36 upscale townhomes, 3 single-family homes, and 110 multifamily dwelling units. As of December 31, 2017, we have closed on 30 units, including the 3 single-family units. We are currently processing building permits for the multifamily units.

The Villas | Preserve at Two Rivers 28’ and Villas | Preserve at Two Rivers 32’ projects are active adult communities in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. We constructed a total of 16 villas in these communities. We closed on all 16 units as of April 2017.

The Woods at Spring Ridge is a residential project in Frederick, Maryland. The property is being developed as 21 single-family units. We are actively selling in this community and as of December 31, 2017, we have closed on 3 units and we have 4 units in backlog.

Solomons Choice is a residential project located in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. The property is being developed as 56 single-family units. We are actively selling in this community and as of December 31, 2017, we have 1 unit in backlog.

District of Columbia

The Townes at Totten Mews are located in the Northeast quadrant of Washington, D.C. This property is being developed as 40 townhome units. We are actively selling in this community and as of December 31, 2017, we have closed on 11 units and there was 1 unit in backlog.

With respect to our homebuilding operations, we seek to minimize risk associated with fluctuating market conditions by primarily building pre-sold units and limiting the number of speculative units or “spec units” (units that are under construction without an executed sales contract) held in inventory. In each new community that we develop, we build model homes to demonstrate our products and to house our on-site sales operations. When practical, we execute sale-leaseback transactions on model homes. We limit building spec units in locations where there is a demand for immediate delivery of homes or where a significant number of the units in a multi-family building (such as townhouses or condominiums) have been pre-sold. We believe that by limiting the number of model homes and spec units held in inventory, we reduce our exposure to cyclical fluctuations in market values and minimize costs associated with holding inventory, such as debt service.

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Land/Lot Acquisition and Inventory Management

While the Company is transitioning away from homebuilding as a primary revenue source, the Company and its subsidiaries continue to have ongoing homebuilding operations. Historically, we directly acquire almost all of our land and lot positions. We are currently a party to a number of joint ventures, all of which are consolidated in our financial statements.

For our ongoing homebuilding communities, we attempt to mitigate our exposure to real estate inventory risks by:

Going forward, the Company does not intend to acquire new homebuilding projects on balance sheet and will limit its role to providing a variety of asset management services to homebuilding projects owned by third parties and such projects will not be consolidated on our financial statements.

Land Development and Home Construction

Substantially all of our land development and home construction work is performed by subcontractors. Subcontractors typically are selected after a competitive bidding process and retained for a specific community pursuant to a contract that obligates the subcontractor to complete the scope of work at an agreed-upon price. Agreements with the subcontractors and suppliers generally are negotiated for each community. We compete with other homebuilders for qualified subcontractors, raw materials and lots in the markets where we operate. We employ land development supervisors and construction superintendents to monitor land development and home construction activities, participate in major design and building decisions, coordinate the activities of subcontractors and suppliers, review the work of subcontractors for quality and cost control and monitor compliance with zoning and building codes. In addition, our construction superintendents play a significant role in working with our homebuyers by assisting with option selection and home modification decisions, educating buyers on the construction process and instructing buyers on post-closing home maintenance.

Our home designs are selected or prepared in each of our communities to appeal to the tastes and preferences of local homebuyers. We also offer optional interior and exterior features to allow homebuyers the opportunity to enhance the basic home design and to allow us to generate additional revenue from each home sold. Construction time for our homes depends on the weather, availability of labor, materials and supplies, size of the home, and other factors. We typically complete construction of a home within three to six months.

We typically do not maintain significant inventories of land development or home construction materials, except for work in progress materials for homes under construction. Generally, the construction materials used in our operations are readily available from numerous sources.

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Marketing and Sales

We market and sell our homes primarily through commissioned employees. A significant number of our home closings also involve an independent real estate broker representing the buyer. We typically conduct home sales from sales offices and/or furnished model homes in each community. Our sales personnel assist prospective homebuyers by providing floor plans and price information, demonstrating the features and layouts of model homes and assisting with the selection of options and other custom features. We train and inform our sales personnel on the availability of financing, construction schedules, and marketing and advertising plans. As market conditions warrant, to be competitive, we may provide potential homebuyers with one or more of a variety of incentives, including closing cost assistance, discounts and free upgrades.

We market our homes and communities to prospective homebuyers and real estate brokers through electronic media, including email, social networking sites and our company website, as well as brochures, flyers, newsletters and promotional events. We also use billboards, radio, magazine and newspaper advertising as necessary. We attempt to position our communities in locations that are desirable to potential homebuyers and convenient to or visible from local traffic patterns, which helps to reduce advertising costs. Model homes play a substantial role in our marketing efforts, and we expend significant effort and resources to create an attractive atmosphere in our model homes.

We manage inventory to build a limited number of speculative homes in our communities. Speculative homes enhance our marketing and sales efforts to prospective homebuyers who are relocating to these markets, as well as to independent brokers, who often represent homebuyers requiring a home within a short time frame. We determine our speculative homes strategy based on local market factors, such as new job growth, the number of job relocations, housing demand and supply (including new homes), seasonality, current sales contract cancellation trends and our past experience in the local markets. We maintain a low level of speculative home inventory in each community based on our current and planned sales pace, and we monitor and adjust speculative home inventory on an ongoing basis as conditions warrant. Speculative homes help to provide us with opportunities to compete effectively with existing homes available in the market and improve our profits and returns on our inventory of owned lots.

Quality Control

We provide our single-family and townhouse home buyers with a one-year limited warranty covering workmanship and materials. The limited warranty is transferable to subsequent buyers not under direct contract with us and requires that all home buyers agree to the definitions and procedures set forth in the warranty. Typically, we provide our condominium home buyers with a two-year limited warranty, or as required by statute. In addition, we periodically provide structural warranty of longer durations pursuant to applicable statutory requirements. From time to time, we assess the appropriateness of our warranty reserves and adjust accruals as necessary. Based on historical experience and when deemed appropriate by us, we may accrue additional warranty reserves. We require our general contractors and sub-contractors to warrant the work they perform and they are contractually obligated to correct defects in their work that arise during the applicable warranty period. We seek to minimize our risk associated with warranty repairs through our quality assurance program and by selecting contractors with good reputations, sufficient resources and adequate insurance. It is typical that there is a gap in the warranty coverage provided by contractors and by home builders, which we have self-insured in the past. It is our experience that the warranty claims which we have self-insured have not been significant in nature, but we periodically obtain additional insurance to protect against this unquantifiable risk.

Competition

The real estate asset management and services industry is highly competitive. Our growth will depend upon our ability to professionally manage the assets subject to the AMA and to expand our services to new clients in the markets in which we operate on a cost-efficient basis. We compete with other businesses in the real estate management and asset management businesses. Many of these competitors and their clients may have greater technical, marketing and financial resources than we currently provide to our clients. Such competitors may also enjoy competitive advantages that result from, among other things, lower costs of capital, greater business scale and enhanced operating efficiencies. Certain competitors may also be subject to different regulatory requirements or rules that may allow them more flexibility or better access to pursue potential investments and raise capital for themselves or their managed companies. In addition, certain competitors may have higher risk tolerance, different risk assessments or lower return thresholds, which could allow them to consider a broader range of investments and to bid more aggressively for investment opportunities than us. Our ability to continue to compete effectively will depend in large part upon the ability to attract, retain and motivate employees, and we and they regularly must compete with other companies to attract and retain employees.

For our homebuilding operations, we compete primarily on the basis of price, location, design, quality, service and reputation. We compete with small private builders and large regional or national builders. In addition to competing for home buyers and renters, builders compete for construction financing, raw materials and skilled labor. Additionally, under normal market conditions, competition exists within the industry for prime development sites, especially those where developed building lots are available under option lot contracts. We compete with other local, regional and national builders in all of these areas. Many of our competitors have significantly greater financial, sales and marketing and other resources than we have. Some of the national builders that we compete against include Pulte Homes, Beazer Homes, M/I Homes, DR Horton, Toll Brothers, CalAtlantic Homes, NVR, K. Hovnanian and Lennar.

Competition among home builders and multi-family developers is often specific to product types being offered in a particular area. Often we do not find ourselves competing with the large national developers in the urban communities where we develop high-rise and mixed use products. This is primarily because most national builders tend to focus on a narrower range of products than what we offer. We believe this provides us with a distinct advantage in terms of attracting potential home buyers and renters in certain areas. We believe the factors that home buyers consider in deciding whether to purchase or rent from us include the product type, location, value quality, and reputation of the developer. We believe that our projects and product offerings compare favorably on these factors, and we continually strive to maintain our reputation of building quality products.

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Governmental Regulation and Environmental Matters

We are subject to various local, state and federal statutes, ordinances, rules and regulations concerning finance, banking, investments, zoning, building design, construction, density requirements and similar matters. We and our competitors may also be subject to periodic delays or may be precluded entirely from developing in certain communities due to building moratoriums or “slow-growth” or “no-growth” initiatives that could be implemented in the future in the states where we operate. Local and state governments also have broad discretion regarding the imposition of development fees for projects in their jurisdiction.

We and our homebuilding competitors are also subject to a variety of local, state and federal statutes, ordinances, rules and regulations concerning protection of the environment. Some of the laws to which we and our properties are subject to may impose requirements concerning development in waters of the United States, including wetlands, the closure of water supply wells, management of asbestos-containing materials, exposure to radon and similar issues. The particular environmental laws that apply to any given community vary based on several factors, including but not limited to the environmental conditions related to a particular property and the present and former uses of the property. These environmental laws may result in delays, may cause us and our competitors to incur substantial compliance related costs, and may prohibit or severely restrict development in certain environmentally sensitive areas. To date, environmental laws have not had a material adverse impact on our operations.

Technology and Intellectual Property

We utilize our technology infrastructure to facilitate the management of our client’s projects and the marketing of our projects. Through our web site, www.comstockcompanies.com, and those of our clients, our multi-family and homebuilding customers and prospective customers receive automatic electronic communications from us on a regular basis. Our corporate marketing directors work with in-house marketing and technology specialists to develop advertising and public relations programs for each project that leverage our technology capabilities. During 2017, we continued utilization of media and internet based marketing platforms, primarily in lieu of print advertisements. We believe that the home buying population will continue to increase its reliance on information available on the internet to help guide its rental and home buying decision. Accordingly, through our marketing efforts, we will continue to seek to leverage this trend to lower per sale marketing costs while maximizing potential sales.

Our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, Christopher Clemente, has licensed his ownership interest in the “Comstock” brand and trademark to us in perpetuity and free of charge. We routinely take steps, and occasionally take legal action, to protect it against infringement from third parties. Mr. Clemente has retained the right to continue to use the “Comstock” brand and trademark including for real estate development projects in our current or future markets that are unrelated to the Company but excluding products developed as for sale homes.

Although significant changes in market conditions have impacted our seasonal patterns in the past and could do so again in the future, we generally have more homes under construction, close more homes and have greater revenues and operating income in the third and fourth quarters of our fiscal year related to our homebuilding operations. The seasonal activity increases our working capital requirements for our homebuilding operations during the third and fourth quarters of our fiscal year. As a result of seasonal activity, our quarterly results of operations and financial position at the end of a particular fiscal quarter are not necessarily representative of the balance of our fiscal year.

Internet Website

Our internet website address is www.comstockcompanies.com. We make available, free of charge, on our website, our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to these reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, as soon as reasonably practicable after these forms are filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. The information on or accessible through our website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Employees

At December 31, 2017, we had 49 full-time and 2 part-time employees. Our employees are not represented by any collective bargaining agreements and we have never experienced a work stoppage. We believe we have good relations with our employees. With the integration of the new business segments, the number of our employees will increase in 2018.

Executive Officers of the Registrant

Our executive officers and other management employees and their respective ages and positions as of December 31, 2017 are as follows:

Christopher Clemente founded Comstock in 1985 and has been a director since May 2004. Since 1992, Mr. Clemente has served as our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Clemente has over 30 years of experience in all aspects of real estate development and homebuilding, and more than 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur.

Christopher Conover was named our Chief Financial Officer effective September 2016. Prior to that, Mr. Conover served in various positions in the Company, including Corporate Controller. Mr. Conover joined the Company in January 2012 and prior to joining the Company, served seven years in public accounting in assurance services developing extensive experience providing audit and highly technical consulting services for real estate companies of various sizes and asset classes.

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Jubal R. Thompson has served as our General Counsel since October 1998 and our Secretary since December 2004. Mr. Thompson has significant experience in the areas of real estate acquisitions and dispositions, real estate and corporate finance, corporate governance, mergers and acquisition and risk management.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

Risks Relating to Our Lines of Business

Our business is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Prospective investors should carefully consider the risks described below, together with all of the other information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The risks described below may not be the only risks we face but are risks we believe may be material at this time. Additional risks that we do not yet know of, or that we currently think are immaterial, may also impair our business operations or financial results. If any of the events or circumstances described below occurs, our business, financial condition or results of operations and the trading price of our securities could decline. Investors and prospective investors should consider the following risks, the information contained under the heading “Warning Concerning Forward Looking Statements” and the risks described elsewhere in this Annual Report before deciding whether to invest in our securities.

During fiscal year 2017, in conjunction with our transformation of our business platform model from for-sale homebuilding to commercial development, asset management and real estate services, we identified deficiencies that in the aggregate constituted a material weakness in our internal controls over financial reporting. If we are unable to develop, implement and maintain effective internal controls in future periods, our ability to produce accurate and timely financial statements could be impaired and investors’ views of us could be harmed.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and SEC rules require that management report annually on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting and our disclosure controls and procedures. Among other things, management must conduct an assessment of internal control over financial reporting to allow management to report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes- Oxley Act. Based on management’s assessment, we concluded that our internal controls over financial reporting were not effective as of December 31, 2017. The specific material weakness and remediation measures are described in Item 9A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim consolidated financial statements would not be prevented or detected. As with any material weakness, if our remedial measures are insufficient to address the material weakness, or if additional material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting are discovered or occur in the future, our consolidated financial statements may contain material misstatements. Any material misstatements could result in a restatement of our consolidated financial statements, cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations or cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, leading to a decline in our stock price.

We are currently in the process of remediating the identified material weakness in our internal controls and will commit our best efforts to completing our remediation measures on a timely basis. As we continue to evaluate and work to improve our internal control over financial reporting, we may determine to take additional measures to address material weakness or determine to modify certain of the remediation measures. Remediation of the material weakness will likely include additional costs, including the hiring of new personnel with sufficient and tailored skill sets. If we were to fail to remediate this material weakness, there would continue to be an increased risk that our future financial statements could contain errors that will be undetected. Future determinations that there are material weaknesses in the effectiveness of our internal controls could negatively impact our ability to obtain financing or could increase the cost of any financing we obtain and require additional expenditures of resources to comply with applicable requirements. The ongoing existence of a material weakness could result in errors in our financial statements that could result in a restatement of financial statements, which could cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations, lead to a loss of investor confidence and have a negative impact on the trading price of our common stock.

Risks Relating to Our Management Fee For Services Business

Going forward, substantially all of our revenues are derived from our provision of management services to a limited number of companies. The loss or failure, or decline in business or assets could substantially reduce our revenues.

We anticipate that the fees we earn from providing asset management services to our client under the AMA will comprise substantially all our revenue in the near term. Therefore, our revenues depend in large part on the ability of our largest clients to invest in real estate assets or their other respective businesses and on the positive performance of the investments or businesses of our largest clients. Our clients’ investments and businesses are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Therefore, our operating results and our ability to maintain and grow our revenues depends upon the ability of our clients to maintain and grow their respective businesses. Reduced business activities by, or failure of, any of the clients or certain of the projects or the termination of their management agreements, particularly with respect to the AMA, would materially reduce our revenues and our profitability.

The AMA and other agreements with clients are subject to termination, and any such termination could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

The AMA and our other consulting agreements with our clients may be terminated by a client or by us in certain circumstances. Depending upon the circumstances of a termination, we may or may not be entitled to receive a termination fee. If any of our management or consulting agreements with a client is terminated, we may be unable to replace the lost revenue. Even if we receive a termination fee upon the termination of a management agreement with a client, we would likely be unable to invest the proceeds of the termination fee we receive to replace the lost revenues. The termination of our management agreement or consulting agreement with any of our largest clients could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

The commercial real estate industry has been and may continue to be adversely affected by economic conditions in the United States generally.

Our business and operations are significantly dependent on conditions in the commercial real estate industry, which in turn is impacted by general economic conditions in the United States. Commercial real estate markets in the United States were significantly negatively impacted during the recent recession. Although commercial real estate markets have improved, with valuations approaching, and in some cases exceeding, 2007 levels, new challenges have arisen, including uncertain U.S. Federal Reserve policy regarding the timing and amount of future increases in interest rates and increasing real estate development activities. Adverse conditions in the commercial real estate industry and declining real estate values could harm our business and financial condition by limiting our and our Client Companies’ access to debt and equity capital and our and their ability to grow our and their businesses. Adverse conditions may also give rise to an increase in defaults of the Company’s loans and other investments. An economic slowdown or recession or declining real estate values could materially and adversely affect us and our clients.

The asset management business is highly competitive.

Our business is highly competitive and our success will be determined by a variety of factors, including, without limitation, the following:

If we fail to compete effectively, our business, results of operations and financial condition may be materially adversely impacted.

We are subject to substantial regulation and numerous contractual obligations and internal policies, and failure to comply with these provisions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are subject to substantial regulation and numerous contractual obligations and internal policies. We are subject to regulation by the SEC, The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC, or Nasdaq, and other federal, state and local governmental bodies and agencies or self-regulatory organizations. We are also responsible for managing or assisting with the regulatory aspects of certain of our clients. The level of regulation and supervision to which we and our clients are subject varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and is based on the type of business activity involved. Our or our clients’ failure to comply with any of the regulations, contractual obligations or policies may subject us to extensive investigations, as well as substantial penalties and reputational risk, and our business and operations could be materially adversely affected.

Our lack of compliance with applicable law could result in, among other things, our inability to enforce contracts, our default under contracts (including our management agreements or advisory agreements with our clients) and our ineligibility to contract with, and receive revenue from, governmental authorities and agencies, our clients or other third parties. We have numerous contractual obligations with which we must comply on a continuous basis to operate our business, the default of which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition. We have established internal policies designed to ensure that we manage our business in accordance with applicable law and regulation and in accordance with our contractual obligations. These internal policies may not be effective in all regards; and, if we fail to comply with our internal policies, we could be subjected to additional risk and liability.

Employee misconduct could harm us by subjecting us to significant legal liability, reputational harm and loss of business.

There is a risk that our employees could engage in misconduct that adversely affects our business. We are subject to a number of obligations and standards arising from our business and our authority over the companies and assets we manage. The violation of these obligations and standards by any of our employees may adversely affect our clients and us. Our business often requires that we deal with confidential matters of great significance to our clients. If our employees improperly use or disclose confidential information, we and the concerned client could suffer serious harm to our and its reputation, financial position and current and future business relationships and face potentially significant litigation. It is not always possible to detect or deter employee misconduct, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent this activity may not be effective in all cases. If any of our employees were to engage in or be accused of misconduct, our business and our reputation could be adversely affected. Misconduct by an employee might rise to the level of a default that would permit a client to terminate its management agreements or advisory agreements with us for cause and without paying a termination fee, which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Risks Relating to Our Homebuilding Business

Our operations historically required significant capital and our continuing operations during the transition to commercial real estate depends on the continuing availability of acquisition, construction, and development loans which may not to be available at the time it is needed or at favorable terms.

The real estate development industry is capital intensive and requires significant expenditures for operations, land purchases, land development and construction as well as potential acquisitions of other homebuilders or developers. In order to maintain our operations, we will need to obtain additional financing. These funds can be generated through public or private debt or equity financings, operating cash flow, additional bank borrowings or from strategic alliances or joint ventures. We may not be successful in obtaining additional funds in a timely manner, on favorable terms or at all. We have historically utilized construction, acquisition and development loans to finance our projects. These credit facilities tend to be project-oriented and generally have variable rates and require significant management time to administer. Further, these types of financings are typically characterized by short-term loans, which are subject to call. The availability of borrowed funds, especially for land acquisition and construction financing, has been greatly reduced, and lenders may require us to invest increased amounts of equity in a project in connection with both new loans and the extension of existing loans. In addition, we may need to further refinance all or a portion of our debt on or before maturity, which we may not be able to do on favorable terms or at all. Furthermore, if financial institutions discontinue providing these facilities to us, we would lose our primary source of financing for our operations or the cost of retaining or replacing these credit facilities could increase dramatically. If we do not have access to additional capital or funds to continue to transition our operations, we may be required to delay, scale back or abandon some or all of our operating strategies for an orderly transition of our homebuilding operations and rely more heavily on a liquidation strategy for our lot inventory that would likely cause us to experience a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Home prices and sales activities in the Washington, D.C. market have a large impact on our results of operations because we primarily conduct our business in this market.

We currently develop and sell homes primarily in the Washington, D.C. market; consequently, home prices and sales activities in the Washington, D.C. geographic market have a large impact on our results of operations. Although demand in this area historically has been strong, the historical slowdowns in residential real estate demand and continued constraints on obtaining consumer mortgage financing continue to reduce the likelihood of consumers seeking to purchase new homes. As a result of the specific market and general economic conditions, potential customers may be less willing or able to buy our homes, or we may take longer or incur more costs to build them. We may not be able to recapture increased costs by raising prices in many cases because of market conditions or because we fix our prices in advance of delivery by signing home sales contracts. We may be unable to change the mix of our homes or our offerings or the affordability of our homes to maintain our margins or satisfactorily address changing market conditions in other ways. Our limited geographic diversity means that adverse general economic, weather or other conditions in this geographic market could adversely affect our results of operations and cash flows or our ability to grow our business.

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Fluctuations in market conditions and our transition out of homebuilding may affect our ability to sell our land and home inventories at expected prices, or at all, which could adversely affect our revenues, earnings and cash flows.

We could be subject to significant fluctuations in the market value of our land and home inventories. The risk of owning undeveloped land, developed land and homes can be substantial. The market value of undeveloped land, buildable lots and housing inventories can fluctuate significantly as a result of changing economic and market conditions. Inventory carrying costs can be significant and can result in losses in a poorly performing development or market. Material write-downs of the estimated value of our land and home inventories could occur if market conditions deteriorate or if we purchased land or build home inventories at higher prices during stronger economic periods and the value of those land or home inventories subsequently declines during weaker economic periods. We could also be forced to sell homes, land or lots for prices that generate lower profit than we anticipated, or at a loss, and may not be able to dispose of an investment in a timely manner when we find dispositions advantageous or necessary. Furthermore, a continued decline in the market value of our land or home inventories or our transition out of homebuilding may give rise to additional impairments of our inventory and write-offs of contract deposits and feasibility cost, which may result in a breach of financial covenants contained in one or more of our credit facilities, and possibly cause a default under those credit facilities. Defaults in these credit facilities are often times the responsibility of Comstock, as Comstock is the guarantor of most of its subsidiaries debts.

During 2017 and 2016, we evaluated all of our projects, to the extent of the existence of any impairment indicators requiring evaluation to determine if carrying amounts were recoverable by evaluating discount rates, sales prices, absorption and our analysis of the best approach to marketing our projects for sale.

During 2017 and 2016, as a result of our impairment analysis, the Company wrote off $0.5 million and $2.4 million, respectively, in feasibility, site securing, predevelopment, design, carry costs and related costs for certain of our communities in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area due to unsuccessful negotiations and changes in market conditions. Additionally, during 2016, the Company, through its subsidiaries, and the land seller of a community in the Washington, D.C. area entered into a settlement agreement, and the Company received a refund of $0.7 million representing a portion of the deposit deemed impaired during the Company’s impairment analysis in 2015.

Our business is subject to governmental regulations that may delay, increase the cost of, prohibit or severely restrict our development and homebuilding projects and reduce our revenues and cash flows.

We are subject to extensive and complex laws and regulations that affect the land development and homebuilding processes, including laws and regulations related to zoning, permitted land uses, levels of density (number of dwelling units per acre), building design, access to water and other utilities, water and waste disposal and use of open spaces. In addition, we and our subcontractors are subject to laws and regulations relating to worker health and safety. We are also subject to a variety of local, state and federal laws and regulations concerning the protection of health and the environment. In some of our markets, we are required to pay environmental impact fees, use energy saving construction materials and give commitments to provide certain infrastructure such as roads and sewage systems. We are also subject to real estate taxes and other local government fees on real estate purchases. We must also obtain permits and approvals from local authorities to complete residential development or home construction. The laws and regulations under which we and our subcontractors operate, and our and their obligations to comply with them, may result in delays in construction and development, cause us to incur substantial compliance and other increased costs, and prohibit or severely restrict development and homebuilding activity in certain areas in which we operate. If we are unable to continue to develop communities and build and deliver homes as a result of these restrictions or if our compliance costs increase substantially, our revenues, earnings and cash flows may be reduced.

Cities and counties in which we operate have adopted, or may adopt, slow or no-growth initiatives that would reduce our ability to build and sell homes in these areas and could adversely affect our revenues, earnings and cash flows.

From time to time, certain cities and counties in which we operate have approved, and others in which we operate may approve, various “slow-growth” or “no-growth” initiatives and other similar ballot measures. Such initiatives restrict development within localities by, for example, limiting the number of building permits available in a given year. Approval of slow- or no-growth measures could reduce our ability to obtain building permits and build and sell homes in the affected markets and could create additional costs and administration requirements, which in turn could have an adverse effect on our revenues, earnings and cash flows. Increased regulation in the housing industry increases the time required to obtain the necessary approvals to begin construction and has prolonged the time between the initial acquisition of land or land options and the commencement and completion of construction. These delays increase our costs, decrease our profitability and increase the risks associated with the land inventories we maintain.

Municipalities may restrict or place moratoriums on the availability of utilities, such as water and sewer taps. If municipalities in which we operate take actions like these, it could have an adverse effect on our business by causing delays, increasing our costs or limiting our ability to build in those municipalities. This, in turn, could reduce the number of homes we sell and decrease our revenues, earnings and cash flows.

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Our ability to sell homes and, accordingly, our results of operations, will be affected by the availability of mortgage financing to potential home buyers.

Most home buyers finance their purchase of new homes through third-party mortgage financing. As a result, residential real estate demand is adversely affected by increases in interest rates and decreases in the availability of consumer mortgage financing. Increased monthly mortgage costs and the continued constraints on obtaining financing for potential home buyers have depressed the market for new homes. For instance, regulations which tighten underwriting standards have made mortgage financing more difficult to obtain for some of our entry-level home buyers, which has led to decreased demand from these buyers. Even if potential home buyers do not experience difficulty securing mortgage financing for their purchases of new homes, increases in interest rates and decreased mortgage availability or significant alterations to mortgage product types could make it harder for them to sell their existing homes. This could continue to adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.

Limitations on, or reduction or elimination of, tax benefits associated with owning a home could have an adverse effect on the demand for our home products.

Existing tax laws generally permit significant expenses associated with owning a home, to be deducted for the purpose of calculating an individual’s federal, and in many cases, state, taxable income, primarily including mortgage interest expenses and real estate taxes. New tax laws and regulations have recently been enacted that limit mortgage interest deductions. These regulations may increase the after-tax cost of owning a home, increasing the costs for many of our potential customers and may have an adverse effect on the homebuilding industry in general, as the loss or reduction of homeowner tax deductions could decrease the demand for new homes.

The competitive conditions in the homebuilding industry could increase our costs, reduce our revenues and earnings and otherwise adversely affect our results of operations and cash flows.

The homebuilding industry is highly competitive and fragmented. We compete with a number of national, regional and local builders for customers, raw materials and labor. For example, in the Washington, D.C. market, we compete against multiple publicly-traded national home builders, and many privately-owned regional and local home builders. We do not compete against all of the builders in all of our product types or submarkets, as some builders focus on particular types of projects within those markets, such as large estate homes, that are not in competition with our projects.

We compete primarily on the basis of price, location, design, quality, service and reputation. Some of our competitors have greater financial resources, more established market positions and better opportunities for land and home site acquisitions, greater amounts of unrestricted cash resources on hand, and lower costs of capital, labor and material than us. The competitive conditions in the homebuilding industry and our announcement to transition out of homebuilding could, among other things:

Our homes also compete with sales of existing homes and condominiums, foreclosure sales of existing homes and condominiums and available rental housing. A continued oversupply of competitively priced resale, foreclosure or rental homes in our markets could adversely affect our ability to sell homes profitably.

Increases in our cancellation rate could have a negative impact on our home sales revenue and homebuilding margins.

The cancellation rate of buyers who contracted to buy a home from us but did not close escrow (as a percentage of overall orders) was approximately 16% and 7% during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Home order cancellations negatively impact the number of closed homes, net new home orders, home sales revenue and results of operations, as well as the number of homes in backlog. Home order cancellations can result from a number of factors, including declines or slow appreciation in the market value of homes, increases in the supply of homes available to be purchased, increased competition, higher mortgage interest rates, homebuyers’ inability to sell their existing homes, homebuyers’ inability to obtain suitable financing, including providing sufficient down payments, and adverse changes in economic conditions including unemployment. Upon a home order cancellation, the homebuyer’s escrow deposit is returned to the homebuyer (other than certain miscellaneous deposits, which we retain). An increase in the level of our home order cancellations could have a negative impact on our business, prospects, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

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If we are not able to develop our communities successfully, our results of operations, cash flows, and financial condition could be adversely impacted.

Before a community generates any revenues, material expenditures are required to acquire land, to obtain development approvals and to construct significant portions of project infrastructure, amenities, model homes and sales facilities. It can take a year or more for a community development to achieve cumulative positive cash flow. Our inability to develop and market our communities successfully and to generate positive cash flows from these operations in a timely manner could have a material adverse effect on our ability to service our debt and to meet our working capital requirements.

If we experience shortages of labor or supplies or other circumstances beyond our control, there could be delays or increased costs associated with developing our projects, which would adversely affect our operating results and cash flows.

We, from time to time, may be affected by circumstances beyond our control, including:

These difficulties have caused and likely will cause unexpected construction delays and short-term increases in construction costs. In an attempt to protect the margins on our projects, we often purchase certain building materials with commitments that lock in the prices of these materials for 90 to 120 days or more. However, once the supply of building materials subject to these commitments is exhausted, we are again subject to market fluctuations and shortages. We may not be able to recover unexpected increases in construction or materials costs by raising our home prices because, typically, the price of each home is established at the time a customer executes a home sale contract. Furthermore, sustained increases in construction and material costs may, over time, erode our profit margins and may adversely affect our results of operations and cash flows.

We continue to depend on the availability and skill of subcontractors and their willingness to work with us as we transition out of our homebuilding operations.

Substantially all of our land development and construction work is done by subcontractors with us acting as the general contractor or by subcontractors working for a general contractor we select for a particular project. Accordingly, the timing and quality of our land development and construction depends on the availability, skill, and willingness of those subcontractors to work with us as we transition out of our homebuilding business. We do not have long-term

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contractual commitments with subcontractors or suppliers. Although we believe that our relationships with our suppliers and subcontractors are good, we cannot assure that skilled subcontractors will continue to be available at reasonable rates and in the areas in which we conduct our operations. The inability to contract with skilled subcontractors or general contractors at reasonable costs on a timely basis could limit our ability to build and deliver homes and could erode our profit margins and adversely affect our results of operations and cash flows.

Construction defect and product liability litigation and claims that arise in the ordinary course of business may be costly or negatively impact sales, which could adversely affect our results of operations and cash flows.

Our homebuilding business is subject to construction defect and product liability claims arising in the ordinary course of business. These claims are common in the homebuilding industry and can be costly. Among the claims for which developers and builders have financial exposure are property damage, environmental claims and bodily injury claims and latent defects that may not materialize for an extended period of time. Damages awarded under these suits may include the costs of remediation, loss of property and health-related bodily injury. In response to increased litigation, insurance underwriters have attempted to limit their risk by excluding coverage for certain claims associated with environmental conditions, pollution and product and workmanship defects. As a developer and a home builder, we may be at risk of loss for mold-related property, bodily injury and other claims in amounts that exceed available limits on our comprehensive general liability policies and those of our subcontractors. In addition, the costs of insuring against construction defect and product liability claims are high and the amount of coverage offered by insurance companies is limited. Uninsured construction defect, product liability and similar claims, claims in excess of the limits under our insurance policies, defense costs and the costs of obtaining insurance to cover such claims could have a material adverse effect on our revenues, earnings and cash flows.

Increased insurance risk could negatively affect our business, results of operations and cash flows.

Insurance and surety companies frequently reassess many aspects of their business and, as a result, may take actions that could negatively affect our business. These actions could include increasing insurance premiums, requiring higher self-insured retentions and deductibles, requiring additional collateral on surety bonds, reducing limits, restricting coverage’s, imposing exclusions, and refusing to underwrite certain risks and classes of business. Any of these actions may adversely affect our ability to obtain appropriate insurance coverage at reasonable costs, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. Additionally, coverage for certain types of claims, such as claims relating to mold, is generally unavailable. Further, we rely on surety bonds, typically provided by insurance companies, as a means of limiting the amount of capital utilized in connection with the public improvement sureties that we are required to post with governmental authorities in connection with land development and construction activities. The cost of obtaining these surety bonds is, from time to time, unpredictable and these surety bonds may be unavailable to us for new projects. These factors can delay or prohibit commencement of development projects and adversely affect revenue, earnings and cash flows.

We are subject to warranty claims arising in the ordinary course of business that could be costly.

We provide service warranties on our homes for a period of one year or more following closing and provide warranties on occasion as required by applicable statutes for extended periods. We self-insure our warranties from time to time and reserve an amount we believe will be sufficient to satisfy any warranty claims on homes we sell and periodically purchase insurance related coverage to cover the costs associated with potential claims. Additionally, we attempt to pass much of the risk associated with potential defects in materials and workmanship on to the subcontractors performing the work and the suppliers and manufacturers of the materials and their insurance carriers. In such cases, we still may incur unanticipated costs if a subcontractor, supplier, manufacturer or its insurance carrier fails to honor its obligations regarding the work or materials it supplies to our projects. If the amount of actual claims materially exceeds our aggregate warranty reserves, any available insurance coverage and/or the amounts we can recover from our subcontractors and suppliers, our results of operations, cash flows, and financial condition may be adversely affected.

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We are subject to certain environmental laws and the cost of compliance could adversely affect our business, results of operations and cash flows.

As a current or previous owner or operator of real property, we may be liable under federal, state, and local environmental laws, ordinances and regulations for the costs of removal or remediation of hazardous or toxic substances on, under or in the properties or in the proximity of the properties we develop. These laws often impose liability whether or not we knew of, or were responsible for, the presence of such hazardous or toxic substances. The cost of investigating, remediating or removing such hazardous or toxic substances may be substantial. The presence of any such substance, or the failure to promptly remediate any such substance, may adversely affect our ability to sell the property, to use the property for our intended purpose, or to borrow funds using the property as collateral. In addition, the construction process involves the use of hazardous and toxic materials. We could be held liable under environmental laws for the costs of removal or remediation of such materials. In addition, our existing credit facilities also restrict our access to the loan proceeds if the properties that are used to collateralize the loans are contaminated by hazardous substances and require us to indemnify the bank against losses resulting from such occurrence for significant periods of time, even after the loan is fully repaid.

If we are unable to continue to access credit on acceptable terms, our business may be adversely affected.

The changing nature of the global credit markets could make it more difficult for us to access funds, refinance our existing indebtedness, enter into agreements for uncommitted bond facilities and new indebtedness, replace our existing revolving and term credit agreements or obtain funding through the issuance of our securities. We use credit facilities to support our working capital and acquisition needs. There is no guarantee that we can continue to renew our credit facility on terms as favorable as those in our existing credit facility and, if we are unable to do so, our costs of borrowing and our business may be adversely affected.

Our ability to use our Net Operating Losses (“NOLs”) and, in certain circumstances, future built-in losses and depreciation deductions can be negatively affected if there is an “ownership change” as defined under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code.

We currently have approximately $144 million in federal and state NOLs with a potential value of up to approximately $37 million in tax savings. These deferred tax assets are currently fully reserved. If unused, these NOLs will begin expiring in 2027. Under Internal Revenue Code Section 382 rules, if a change of ownership is triggered, our NOL asset and possibly certain other deferred tax assets may be impaired. We estimate that as of December 31, 2017, the cumulative shift in the Company’s stock would not cause an inability to utilize any of our NOLs.

The Company’s ability to use its NOLs (and in certain circumstances, future built-in losses and depreciation deductions) can be negatively affected if there is an “ownership change” as defined under Internal Revenue Code Section 382. In general, an ownership change occurs whenever there is a shift in ownership by more than 50 percentage points by one or more 5% stockholders over a specified time period (generally three years). Given Internal Revenue Code Section 382’s broad definition, an ownership change could be the unintended consequence of otherwise normal market trading in the Company’s stock that is outside of the Company’s control. In an effort to preserve the availability of these NOLs, in 2011, Comstock adopted an Internal Revenue Code Section 382 rights agreement, which expired in May 2014. In June 2015, the Company’s stockholder’s approved a new Section 382 rights agreement (the “Rights Agreement”) to protect stockholder value. The Rights Agreement expires on March 27, 2025. The Rights Agreement was adopted to reduce the likelihood of such an unintended “ownership change”, thus preserving the value of these tax benefits.

An impairment charge of goodwill could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

Because we have grown in part through acquisitions, goodwill and intangible assets-net represent a substantial portion of our assets. Under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP), we are required to test goodwill carried in our Consolidated Balance Sheets for possible impairment on an annual basis based upon a fair value approach and whenever events occur that indicate impairment could exist. These events or circumstances could include a significant change in the business climate, including a significant sustained decline in a reporting unit’s market value, legal factors, operating performance indicators, competition, sale or disposition of a significant portion of our business, a significant sustained decline in our market capitalization and other factors.

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In addition, if we experience a decrease in our stock price and market capitalization over a sustained period, we would have to record an impairment charge in the future. The amount of any impairment could be significant and could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations for the period in which the charge is taken.

We are dependent on the services of certain key employees, and the loss of their services could harm our business.

Our success largely depends on the continuing services of certain key employees, including Christopher Clemente, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; Christopher Conover, our Chief Financial Officer; and Jubal Thompson, our General Counsel and Secretary. Our continued success also depends on our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel. We believe that Messrs. Clemente, Conover and Thompson each possess valuable industry and Company knowledge, experience and leadership abilities that would be difficult in the short term to replicate. The loss of these or other key employees could harm our operations, business plans and cash flows.

Our operating results, including revenue, earnings, and losses, have varied over time due to a number of conditions. If we are unable to successfully manage these conditions or factors, our operating results may continue to vary and may also suffer.

The homebuilding industry is cyclical and we expect to experience variability in our revenues and net income. The volume of sales contracts and closings typically varies from month to month and from quarter to quarter depending on several factors, including the stages of development of our projects, the uncertain timing and cost of real estate closings, weather and other factors beyond our control. In the early stages of a project’s development, we incur significant start-up costs associated with, among other things, project design, land acquisition and development, construction and marketing expenses. Since revenues from sales of properties are generally recognized only upon the transfer of title at the closing of a sale, no revenue is recognized during the early stages of a project unless land parcels or residential home sites are sold to other developers. Periodic sales of properties may be insufficient to fund operating expenses. Further, if sales and other revenues are not adequate to cover operating expenses, we will be required to seek sources of additional operating funds. Accordingly, our financial results will vary from community to community and from time to time.

We do not own the Comstock brand or trademark, but use the brand and trademark pursuant to the terms of a perpetual license granted by Christopher Clemente, our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board.

Our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, Christopher Clemente, has licensed his ownership interest in the “Comstock” brand and trademark to us in perpetuity and free of charge. We routinely take steps, and occasionally take legal action, to protect it against infringement from third parties. Mr. Clemente has retained the right to continue to use the “Comstock” brand and trademark individually and through his affiliates, with respect to real estate development projects in our current or future markets that are unrelated to the Company but excluding products developed as new homes for sale. We will be unable to control the quality of projects undertaken by Mr. Clemente or others using the “Comstock” brand and trademark and therefore will be unable to prevent any damage to its goodwill that may occur. Consequently, our brand’s reputation could be damaged which could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations and cash flows.

Information technology failures or data security breaches could harm our business.

We use information technology and other computer resources to perform important operational and marketing activities and to maintain our business records. Certain of these resources are provided to us and/or maintained by data hosting facilities and third party service providers to assist in conducting our day to day operations. Our computer systems and those of our third-party providers are subject to damage or interruption from power outages, computer and telecommunication failures, computer viruses, hackers, unauthorized accesses, IT security breaches, natural disasters, usage errors by our employees or contractors, etc. Although we have implemented administrative and technical controls to address, mitigate and minimize these IT security issues, a significant and extended disruption of or breach of security related to our computer systems and third party service providers may damage our reputation and cause us to lose customers, sales and revenue, result in the unintended misappropriation of proprietary, personal and confidential information and require us to incur significant expense to remediate or otherwise resolve these issues.

Our business, results of operations and financial condition may be affected by adverse weather conditions or natural disasters.

Adverse weather conditions, such as extended periods of rain, snow or cold temperatures, and natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and fires, can delay completion and sale of real estate, damage partially complete or other construction in our inventory and/or decrease the demand for real estate or increase the cost of building projects. To the extent that natural disasters or adverse weather events occur, our business and results may be adversely affected. To the extent our insurance is not adequate to cover business interruption losses or repair costs resulting from these events, our results of operations and financial conditions may be adversely affected.

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Acts of war or terrorism may seriously harm our business.

Acts of war, any outbreak or escalation of hostilities between the United States and any foreign power or acts of terrorism may cause disruption to the entire U.S. economy, or the Washington, D.C. metro area, cause shortages of building materials, increase costs associated with obtaining building materials, result in building code changes that could increase costs of construction, affect job growth and consumer confidence, or cause economic changes that we cannot anticipate, all of which could reduce demand for our homes and adversely impact our revenues, earnings and cash flows.

Risks Related to our Common Stock and Level of Indebtedness

Our level of indebtedness may harm our financial condition and results of operations.

Our consolidated indebtedness as of December 31, 2017 is approximately $39.4 million, net of discounts and deferred financing charges, and matures at different periods in fiscal years 2018 through 2022. We are in active discussions with our lenders with respect to these maturities and are seeking extensions and modifications to the credit facilities and loans as necessary. If, for any reason, we are unable to refinance, extend or modify the existing indebtedness, these projects may be in default of their existing obligations, which may result in a foreclosure on the project collateral and loss of the project. Any such events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our level of indebtedness could impact our future operations in many important ways, including, without limitation, by:

At the scheduled maturity of our credit facilities or in the event of an acceleration of a debt facility following an event of default, the entire outstanding principal amount of the indebtedness under such facility, together with all other amounts payable thereunder from time to time, will become due and payable. It is possible that we may not have sufficient funds to pay such obligations in full at maturity or upon such acceleration. If we default and are not able to pay any such obligations due, our lenders have liens on substantially all of our assets and could foreclose on our assets in order to satisfy our obligations.

Our sources of liquidity are limited and may not be sufficient to meet our needs.

We are largely dependent on private placements of debt and equity (which rely heavily on insider participation) to cover our operating expenses and/or fund our liquidity needs. If we are unable to secure capital from private placements, we may be forced to reduce our capital expenditures, delay investments, seek other forms of financing or restructure our indebtedness. These alternative measures may not be successful or may not be on desirable terms that could have an adverse impact on our operations.

Our stock price has been volatile and we expect that it will continue to be volatile.

Our stock price has been volatile, and we expect it will continue to be volatile. During the year ended December 31, 2017, the closing price of our common stock ranged from a high of $2.42 to a low of $1.25. The volatility of our stock price may also be due to many factors including:

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Investors in our Class A common stock may not be able to resell their shares of Class A common stock following periods of volatility because of the market’s adverse reaction to the volatility of the stock price. Our Class A common stock may not trade at the same levels as the stock of other homebuilders, and the market in general may not sustain its current prices.

We may not be able to maintain compliance with The NASDAQ Capital Market’s continued listing requirements.

Our Class A common stock is listed on The NASDAQ Capital Market. In order to maintain the listing of our Class A common stock on The NASDAQ Capital Market, we must meet minimum financial, operating and other requirements, including requirements for a minimum amount of capital, a minimum price per share and active operations. We may fail to satisfy certain of these listing requirements. In the past, we have at times not met the minimum trading price and stockholders’ equity amount required for continued listing on the NASDAQ Capital Market. We have taken steps to remedy these deficiencies, including by completing a reverse stock split to increase our trading price. However, if we fail to satisfy these or other continued listing requirements, we would be required to take steps to satisfy the applicable continued listing requirement or suffer delisting from The NASDAQ Capital Market. A delisting of our Class A common stock could adversely affect the market liquidity of our common stock, our ability to obtain financing and our ability to fund our operations.

Investors in our Class A common stock may experience dilution with the future issuance of stock, exercise of stock options and warrants, the grant of restricted stock and issuance of stock in connection with our capital raising transactions and acquisitions of other companies.

From time to time, we have issued and we will continue to issue stock options or restricted stock grants to employees and non-employee directors pursuant to our equity incentive plan. We expect that these options or restricted stock grants will generally vest commencing one year from the date of grant and continue vesting over a four-year period. Investors may experience dilution as the options vest and are exercised by their holders and the restrictions lapse on the restricted stock grants. In addition, we may issue stock to raise capital to fund our growth initiatives, in connection with acquisitions of other companies, or warrants in connection with the settlement of obligations and or indebtedness with vendors and suppliers, which may result in investors experiencing dilution.

Substantial sales of our Class A common stock, or the perception that such sales might occur, could depress the market price of our Class A common stock.

A substantial amount of the shares of our Class A common stock are eligible for immediate resale in the public market. Any sales of substantial amounts of our Class A common stock in the public market, or the perception that such sales might occur, could depress the market price of our Class A common stock.

The holders of our Class B common stock exert control over us and thus limit the ability of other stockholders to influence corporate matters.

As of December 31, 2017, Mr. Christopher Clemente, our Chief Executive Officer, owned 100% of our outstanding Class B common stock, which, together with his shares of Class A common stock, represent approximately 60% of the combined voting power of all classes of our voting stock. As a result, Mr. Clemente has control over the election of our board of directors and our management and policies. Mr. Clemente, also has control over all matters requiring stockholder approval, including the amendment of certain provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, the approval of any equity-based employee compensation plans and the approval of significant corporate transactions, including mergers or acquisition transactions. In light of this control, other companies could be discouraged from initiating a potential merger, takeover or any other transaction resulting in a change of control. Such a transaction potentially could be beneficial to our business or to our stockholders. This may in turn reduce the price that investors are willing to pay in the future for shares of our Class A common stock.

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The limited voting rights of our Class A common stock could limit its attractiveness to investors and its liquidity and, as a result, its market value.

The holders of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock generally have identical rights, except that holders of our Class A common stock are entitled to one vote per share and holders of our Class B common stock are entitled to 15 votes per share on all matters to be voted on by stockholders. The difference in the voting rights of the Class A common stock and Class B common stock could diminish the value of the Class A common stock to the extent that investors or any potential future purchasers of our Class A common stock ascribe value to the superior voting rights of the Class B common stock.

It may be difficult for a third party to acquire us, which could inhibit stockholders from realizing a premium on their stock price.

We are subject to the Delaware anti-takeover laws regulating corporate takeovers. These anti-takeover laws prevent Delaware corporations from engaging in business combinations with any stockholder, including all affiliates and employees of a stockholder, who owns 15% or more of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock, for three years following the date that the stockholder acquired 15% or more of the corporation’s voting stock unless specified conditions are met.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control that stockholders could consider favorable or beneficial. These provisions could discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for stockholders to elect directors and take other corporate actions. These provisions could also limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock. These provisions include:

Our issuance of shares of preferred stock could delay or prevent a change of control of us.

Our board of directors has the authority to cause us to issue, without any further vote or action by the stockholders, up to 20,000,000 shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, in one or more series, to designate the number of shares constituting any series, and to fix the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions thereof, including dividend rights, voting rights, rights and terms of redemption, redemption price or prices and liquidation preferences of such series. The issuance of shares of preferred stock may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of us without further action by the stockholders, even where stockholders are offered a premium for their shares. The issuance of shares of preferred stock with voting and conversion rights may adversely affect the voting power of the holders of Class A common stock, including the loss of voting control. Any issuance of this type of preferred stock could impact the perception of potential future purchasers of our Class A common stock and could depress its market price.

During the period ended December 31, 2015, the Company authorized 3,000,000 shares of a new series of preferred stock designated as Series B Non-Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series B Preferred Stock”). The shares of Series B Preferred Stock have a par value of $0.01 per share and a stated value of $5.00 per share. The Series B Preferred Stock has no conversion rights or voting rights other than required by applicable law. The Series B Preferred Stock earn dividends at a rate of 8.75% per annum. The dividends will accrue whether or not declared. The dividends are also cumulative and payable quarterly in arrears at the last day of each quarterly reporting period in the form of additional Series B Preferred Stock or in the sole discretion of the board of directors, in cash. On December 29, 2015, the Company issued 772,210 shares of Series B Preferred Stock in exchange for the conversion of an outstanding promissory note. On March 24, 2017, the Company and our Chief Executive Officer entered into a series of transactions which converted the Series B Preferred Stock to a newly created Series C Preferred Stock. Refer to Note 15 and Note 20 to the consolidated financial statements for further discussion of these transactions.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 2. Properties

On December 31, 2009, the Company, through its affiliate, Comstock Property Management, L.C., entered into a three-year lease for approximately 7,620 square feet of office space for its corporate headquarters at 1886 Metro Center Drive, Reston, Virginia from Comstock Asset Management, L.C., an affiliate, wholly-owned by our Chief Executive Officer. On September 19, 2012, the Company amended the lease to add an additional 2,436 square feet of office space, or a total of 10,056 square feet, for its corporate headquarters, with an effective date of July 1, 2012. Concurrent with the amendment, the Company agreed to extend the term of the lease for five years from the effective date of the amendment. On October 1, 2016, the Company amended the lease reducing the leased space to 6,398 square feet, and extended the term to two years, expiring on September 30, 2018. See related party transactions in Note 15 in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for additional information.

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On July 17, 2017, the Company, through its subsidiary, JK Environmental Services, LLC (“JK”), acquired the assets and liabilities of Monridge Environmental, LLC. On August 1, 2017, JK entered into a one-year lease for approximately 2,800 square feet of office space at 806 Fayette Street, Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.

For information regarding our projects, see Item 1 ‘Business – Our Developed Communities.’

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

Currently, we are not subject to any material legal proceedings. From time to time, however, we are named as a defendant in legal actions arising from our normal business activities. Although we cannot accurately predict the amount of our liability, if any, that could arise with respect to legal actions pending against us, we do not expect that any such liability will have a material adverse effect on our financial position, operating results or cash flows. We believe that we have obtained adequate insurance coverage, rights to indemnification, or where appropriate, have established reserves in connection with these legal proceedings.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

PART II

Item 5. Market for the Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities Market for Common Stock

Our Class A common stock is traded on NASDAQ under the symbol “CHCI”. The following table sets forth the high and low sale prices of our Class A common stock, as reported on NASDAQ, for the periods indicated:

Holders

As of December 31, 2017, there were approximately 49 record holders of our Class A common stock. As of December 31, 2017, there was one holder of our Class B common stock. As of December 31, 2017, there was one holder of our Series C Preferred Stock.

Dividends

We have never paid any cash dividends on our Class A and Class B common stock and do not intend to do so in the foreseeable future. During the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company recorded $78 and $348 thousand, respectively, of dividends paid-in-kind on its Series B Preferred Stock.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

In November 2014, our board of directors approved a new share repurchase program authorizing the Company to repurchase up to 429 thousand shares of our Class A common stock in one or more open market or privately negotiated transactions. During 2017 and 2016, no shares of our Class A common stock were repurchased. As of December 31, 2017, 404 thousand shares remained available for purchase.

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Item 6. Selected Financial Data

Not Applicable.

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors including, but not limited to, those discussed below and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, particularly under the headings “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Notes Regarding Forward-looking Statements.”

Overview

We are a multi-faceted real estate development and services company primarily focused in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. In 2018, the Company has changed its focus to commercial development, asset management, and provision of complementary real estate related services, transitioning from its primary reliance upon revenue generated by production-oriented, for-sale homebuilding. To accomplish the transition from homebuilding to the new lines of business, the Company will operate through two real estate focused platforms – CAM and CRES. These two business segments include construction, asset and property management, including the remaining homebuilding projects, and service-oriented companies providing services clients primarily in the real estate sector as further discussed in Note 2 of our consolidated financial statements.

CAM

Under the CAM business segment, we manage projects ranging from approximately 100-500 units in locations that are supply constrained with demonstrated demand for stabilized assets. We seek opportunities in the multi-family rental market where our experience and core capabilities can be leveraged. We also provide management services to a wide range of real estate assets and businesses that include apartments, hotels, office buildings, leased lands, retail stores, mixed-use developments, and urban developments. We have significant experience with construction and development management, property management, and asset management.

Although we intend to transition away from our on-balance sheet homebuilding operations, our expertise in developing various housing products enables us to focus on a wide range of opportunities and provide a wide range of services to clients within our core market. For our remaining homebuilding inventory, we will continue to develop properties with the intent that they be sold either as fee-simple properties or condominiums to individual unit buyers or we may sell raw or finished lot inventories to third party developers or homebuilders who will then develop or build out the homes in our remaining projects. For the inventory which we will continue with our homebuilding operations, we will continue to focus on for-sale products designed to attract first-time, early move-up, and secondary move-up buyers. We focus on products that we are able to offer for sale in the middle price points within the markets where we operate, avoiding the very low-end and high-end products.

CRES

We can provide a wide range of real estate services through our experienced management team. We continue to engage in providing third party services focused on strategic planning, land development, land acquisitions, environmental, entitlement, and general construction management activities. Our real estate and environmental services, including consulting, studies, and remediation activities, provide site specific solutions for any project that may have an environmental impact, from environmental due diligence to site-specific assessments and remediation. This business line not only allows us to generate positive fee income from our highly qualified personnel but also serves as a potential catalyst for joint venture and future acquisition opportunities that are complementary to the services provided by CRES and the real estate focused clients of CAM.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

We require capital to operate, to post deposits on new potential acquisitions, to purchase and develop land, to construct homes, to fund related carrying costs and overhead and to fund various advertising and marketing programs to generate sales. These expenditures include payroll, community engineering, entitlement, architecture, advertising, utilities and interest as well as the construction costs of our homes. Our sources of capital include, and we believe will continue to include, private equity and debt placements (which has included significant participation from Company insiders), funds derived from various secured and unsecured borrowings to finance acquisition, development and construction on acquired land, cash flow from operations, which includes the sale and delivery of constructed homes, finished and raw building lots and the potential sale of public debt and equity securities. The Company is involved in ongoing discussions with lenders and equity sources in an effort to provide additional growth capital to fund various new business opportunities. See Note 10 in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for more details on our debt and credit facilities and Note 17 in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for details on private placement offerings in 2017 and 2016.

As of December 31, 2017, $16.0 million of the Company’s secured project related notes were set to mature at various periods through the end of 2018. As of April 20, 2018, the Company has successfully extended or repaid all obligations with Lenders through April 20, 2018, as more fully described in Note 10 and Note 22, and we are actively engaging our lenders seeking long term extensions and modifications to the loans where necessary. These debt instruments impose certain restrictions on our operations, including speculative unit construction limitations, curtailment obligations and financial covenant compliance. If we fail to comply with any of these restrictions, an event of default could occur. Additionally, events of default could occur if we fail to make required debt service payments or if we fail to come to agreement on an extension on a certain facility prior to a given loan’s maturity date. Any event of default would likely render the obligations under these instruments due and payable as of that event. Any such event of default would allow certain of our lenders to exercise cross default provisions in our loan agreements with them, such that all debt with that institution could be called into default.

At December 31, 2017, $14.9 million of our notes payable to affiliates are set to mature prior to the end of 2018. These funds were primarily obtained from entities wholly owned by our Chief Executive Officer, who has unilateral ability to extend the maturity dates beyond 2018 as needed.

The current performance of our projects has met all required servicing obligations required by the facilities. We are anticipating that with successful resolution of the debt extension discussions with our lenders, the recently completed capital raises from our private placements, current available cash on hand, and additional cash from settlement proceeds at existing and under development communities, the Company will have sufficient financial resources to sustain its operations through the next 12 months, though no assurances can be made that the Company will be successful in its efforts. Refer to Note 10 and 22 for further discussion regarding our debts, extension of loan maturity date and other subsequent events impacting our credit facilities.

Cash Flow

Net cash provided by operating activities was $5.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. The $5.1 million net cash provided by operations in 2017 was primarily due to $4.8 million of releases of real estate inventories associated with the settlements at our various communities during the year, an impairment charge of $0.5 million increases in accounts payable of $1.4 million, amortization of loan fees and intangible assets of $1.1 million, increases in other assets of $0.8 million, issuances of stock compensation of $0.3 million, offset by the net loss for the year of $4.8 million. Net cash used in operating activities was $11.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2016. The $11.8 million net cash used in operations in 2016 was primarily due to $11.1 million of net purchases of real estate inventories associated with the Townes at Totten Mews, the Towns at 1333, and the Woods at Spring Ridge projects, which commenced during the year.

Net cash used in investing activities was $0.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. This was primarily attributable to the cash paid for the acquisition of Monridge Environmental, LLC of $0.6 million and the decrease in collateral for letters of credit of $0.2 million. Net cash provided by investing activities was $0.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2016. This was primarily attributable to the net releases of deposits from escrow accounts held as collateral for certain letters of credit of $0.2 million.

Net cash used in financing activities was $8.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. This was primarily attributable to an increase in distributions paid to non-controlling interests, net of contributions, of $1.4 million and payments on notes payable, net of proceeds, of $6.4 million. Net cash provided by financing activities was $4.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2016. This was primarily attributable to an increase in contributions from non-controlling interests, net of distributions paid, of $9.6 million, offset by a decrease in borrowings, net of payments, on notes payable of $4.5 million.

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Share Repurchase Program

In November 2014, our board of directors approved a new share repurchase program authorizing the Company to repurchase up to 429 thousand shares of our Class A common stock in one or more open market or privately negotiated transactions.

As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, 404 thousand shares of our Class A common stock remain available for repurchase pursuant to our share repurchase program.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Information regarding recent accounting pronouncements is contained in Note 2 in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”), which require us to make certain estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates including those related to the consolidation of variable interest entities (“VIEs”), revenue recognition, impairment of real estate inventories, warranty reserve and our environmental liability exposure. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ materially from these estimates.

A summary of significant accounting policies is provided in Note 2 in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. The following section is a summary of certain aspects of those accounting policies that require the most difficult, subjective or complex judgments and estimates.

Real estate inventories

Real estate inventories include land, land development costs, construction and other costs. Real estate held for development and use is stated at cost, or when circumstances or events indicate that the real estate is impaired, at estimated fair value. Real estate held for sale is carried at the lower of cost or fair value less estimated costs to sell. Land, land development and indirect land development costs are accumulated by specific project and allocated to various units within that project using specific identification and allocation based upon the relative estimated sales value method. Direct construction costs are assigned to units based on specific identification, when practical, or based upon the relative sales value method. Construction costs primarily include direct construction costs and capitalized field overhead. Other costs are comprised of fees, capitalized interest and real estate taxes. We also use our best estimate at the end of a reporting period to capitalize estimated construction and development costs. Costs incurred to sell real estate are capitalized to the extent they are reasonably expected to be recovered from the sale of the project or are incurred to obtain regulatory approval of sales. Other selling costs are expensed as incurred.

For assets held for development and use, a write-down to estimated fair value is recorded when the net carrying value of the property exceeds its estimated undiscounted future cash flows. Estimated fair value is based on comparable sales of real estate in the normal course of business under existing and anticipated market conditions. These evaluations are made on a property-by-property basis whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the net book value may not be recoverable.

If the project is considered held for sale, it is valued at the lower of cost or fair value less estimated selling costs. The evaluation takes into consideration the current status of the property, carrying costs, costs of disposition, various restrictions, and any other circumstances that may affect fair value including management’s plans for the property. As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company did not have any development projects considered to be held for sale.

Goodwill impairment

We test our goodwill for impairment on an annual basis, and more frequently when an event occurs or circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the asset may not be recoverable. We believe the methodology that we use to review impairment of goodwill, which includes a significant amount of judgment and estimates, provides us with a reasonable basis to determine whether impairment has occurred.

Revenue recognition

We recognize revenues and related profits or losses from the sale of residential properties and units, finished lots and land sales when closing has occurred, full payment is reasonably assured, title and possession of the property has transferred to the buyer and we have no significant continuing involvement in the property. Other revenues include revenue from land sales, rental revenue from leased multi-family units, which is recognized ratably over the terms of the respective leases.

We consider revenue to be from homebuilding when there is a structure built or being built on the lot at closing when cash receipt is reasonably assured and the title is transferred along with the risks and rewards of ownership. Sales of lots occur, and are included in other revenues, when we sell raw land or finished home sites in advance of any home construction.

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Revenues generated through real estate professional services such as management and administrative support, environmental design, engineering and remediation are recognized when the services have been provided, the benefits of the services are transferred to the customer and our performance obligations over time are satisfied.

Warranty reserve

Warranty reserves for units settled are established to cover potential costs for materials and labor with regard to warranty-type claims expected to arise during the typical one-year warranty period provided by the Company or within the two-year statutorily mandated structural warranty period for condominiums. Because the Company typically subcontracts its homebuilding work, subcontractors are required to provide the Company with an indemnity and a certificate of insurance prior to receiving payments for their work. Claims relating to workmanship and materials are generally the primary responsibility of the subcontractors and product manufacturers. The warranty reserve is established at the time of closing, and is calculated based upon historical warranty cost experience and current business factors. Variables used in the calculation of the reserve, as well as the adequacy of the reserve based on the number of homes still under warranty, are reviewed on a periodic basis. Warranty claims are directly charged to the reserve as they arise. This reserve is an estimate and actual warranty costs could vary from these estimates.

Equity-based compensation

Compensation costs related to our equity-based compensation plans are recognized within our income statement, or capitalized to real estate inventories for awards issued to employees that are involved in production. The costs recognized are based on the grant-date fair value. Compensation costs for share-based grants are recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award (from the date of grant through the period of the last separately vesting portion of the grant).

The fair value of each option award is calculated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model which includes certain subjective assumptions. Expected volatilities are calculated based on our historical trading activities. We estimate forfeitures using a weighted average historical forfeiture rate. Our estimates of forfeitures will be adjusted over the requisite service period based on the extent to which actual forfeitures differ, or are expected to differ, from their estimate. The risk-free rate for the periods is based on the U.S. Treasury rates in effect at the time of grant. The expected term of options is based on the simplified method which assumes that the option will be exercised midway between the vesting date and the contractual term of the option. The Company is able to use the simplified method as the options qualify as “plain vanilla” options as defined by Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 718, Stock Compensation.

Income taxes

Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method in accordance with ASC 740, Accounting for Income Taxes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax basis. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect of a change in tax rates on the deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. We provide a valuation allowance when we consider it “more likely than not” (greater than a 50% probability) that a deferred income tax asset will not be fully recovered. Adjustments to the valuation allowance are a component of the deferred income tax expense or benefit in the consolidated statement of operations.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was enacted on December 22, 2017 with an effective date of January 1, 2018. The results of the Tax Act include, among others, a reduction to the corporate federal income tax rate from 35% to 21%, the repeal of the Alternative Minimum Tax, and the allowance of net operating losses arising in tax years ending after 2017 to be carried forward indefinitely, subject to limitation. The law introduces substantial changes to the Internal Revenue Code, with extensive implications for our federal current and deferred income tax provision. For further information, see Note 19 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statement included in this report.

Use of estimates

The preparation of the financial statements, in conformity with GAAP, requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Material estimates are utilized in the valuation of real estate inventories, including estimated construction and development costs, valuation of deferred tax assets, analysis of goodwill impairment, valuation of equity-based compensation, capitalization of costs, consolidation of variable interest entities and warranty reserves.

Results of Operations

Year ended December 31, 2017 compared to year ended December 31, 2016

Orders, backlog and cancellations

The following table summarizes certain information related to new orders, settlements and backlog for the twelve months ended December 31, 2017 and 2016.

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Revenue – homebuilding

The number of units delivered for the year ended December 31, 2017 decreased by 5 to 89 as compared to 94 units for the year ended December 31, 2016. Average revenue per unit delivered increased by $55 to $488 for the year ended December 31, 2017 as compared to $433 for the year ended December 31, 2016. Revenue from homebuilding increased by $2.7 million to $43.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2017 as compared to $40.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2016. For the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company settled 89 units (31 units at Falls Grove, 6 units at Townes at Hallcrest, 2 units at Villas at Two Rivers, 7 units at Estates at Leeland, 18 units at Marrwood East, 6 units at Emerald Farm, 4 units at Powhatan, 1 unit at Redland Road, 3 units at The Woods at Spring Ridge, and 11 units at Totten Mews), as compared to 94 units (4 units at The Hampshires, 33 units at Falls Grove, 13 units at Maxwell Square, 29 units at Townes at Hallcrest, 9 units at Villas at Two Rivers, 5 units at Estates at Leeland, and 1 unit at Marrwood East) for the year ended December 31, 2016. Gross new order revenue, consisting of revenue from all units sold, for the year ended December 31, 2017 was $47.9 million on 88 units as compared to $51.2 million on 114 units for the year ended December 31, 2016. Net new order revenue, representing revenue for all units sold less revenue from cancellations, for the year ended December 31, 2017 was $40.4 million on 74 units as compared to $46.3 million on 104 units for the year ended December 31, 2016. The increase noted in revenue and average sales price were a result of the mix of units settled. Our homebuilding gross margin percentage for the year ended December 31, 2017 increased by 0.5% to 6.5%, as compared to 6.0% for the year ended December 31, 2016. The increase noted in margins was mainly a result of the mix of homes settled and lower overhead costs as a percentage of homebuilding revenue in certain of our communities that had continued settlements.

Revenue – other

Revenue – other increased approximately $1.1 million to $2.0 million during the year ended December 31, 2017, as compared to $0.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2016. The increase primarily relates to the revenue generated from the newly acquired entity, JK Environmental.

Cost of sales – homebuilding

Cost of sales – homebuilding for the year ended December 31, 2017 increased by $2.4 million to $40.6 million as compared to $38.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2016. The mix of homes settled during the year ended December 31, 2017 accounted for the increase in cost of sales.

Cost of sales – other

Cost of sales – other increased approximately $1.9 million to $2.3 million during the year ended December 31, 2017 as compared to $0.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2016. The increase primarily relates to our costs and efforts expended in relation to growing our real estate services line of business, along with the cost of sales from the newly acquired entity, JK Environmental.

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Impairment charges and recovery, net

We evaluate all of our projects to the extent of the existence of any impairment indicators requiring evaluation to determine if recorded carrying amounts were recoverable by evaluating discount rates, sales prices, absorption and our analysis of the best approach to marketing our projects for sale.

During 2017 and 2016, as a result of our impairment analysis, the Company wrote off $0.5 million and $2.4 million, respectively, in feasibility, site securing, predevelopment, design, carry costs and related costs for certain of our communities in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area due to unsuccessful negotiations and changes in market conditions. Additionally, during 2016, the Company, through its subsidiaries, and the land seller of a community in the Washington, D.C. area entered into a settlement agreement, and the Company received a refund of $0.7 million representing a portion of the deposit deemed impaired during the Company’s impairment analysis in 2015.

Interest and real estate tax expense

Interest and real estate tax expense for the year ended December 31, 2017 decreased to $0 from $0.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2016. The primary reason for the decrease is due to the amount of interest charges that qualified for interest capitalization because the interest charges were less than the weighted average of the rates applicable to entity level borrowings.

Income taxes

During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company recognized income tax expense of $38 thousand and the effective tax rate was 0.91%. During the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company recognized income tax expense of $55 thousand and the effective tax rate was 0.82%.

Seasonality and Weather

Our business is affected by seasonality with respect to orders and deliveries. In the market in which we operate, the primary selling season is from January through May as well as September and October. Orders in other months typically are lower. In addition, the markets in which we operate are four-season markets that experience significant periods of rain and snow. Construction cycles and efforts are often adversely affected by severe weather.

Inflation

Inflation can have a significant impact on our business performance and the homebuilding industry in general. Rising costs of land, transportation costs, utility costs, materials, labor, overhead, administrative costs and interest rates on floating credit facilities can adversely affect our business performance. In addition, rising costs of certain items, such as lumber, can adversely affect the expected profitability of our backlog. Generally, we have been able to recover any increases in costs through increased selling prices. However, there is no assurance we will be able to increase selling prices in the future to cover the effects of inflation and other cost increases.

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

Not applicable.

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

Reference is made to the consolidated financial statements, the notes thereto, and the report thereon, commencing on page F-1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

None.

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Item 9A. Controls and Procedures

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”), as December 31, 2017. Disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC and that such information is accumulated and communicated to management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Based on this evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of December 31, 2017 due to the material weakness described below.

Notwithstanding the material weakness in our internal controls over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017, management has concluded that the consolidated financial statements and notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K present fairly, in all material respects, our financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.

Limitations on the Effectiveness of Controls

We do not expect that our disclosure controls and internal controls will prevent all error and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only assurance, at the reasonable assurance level, that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

The design of any system of controls also is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions; over time, a control may become inadequate because of changes in conditions or the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. Because of the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and may not be detected.

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act. Internal control over financial reporting consists of policies and procedures that: (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company; (2) are designed and operated to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of our financial reporting and our process for the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the Company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Our internal control over financial reporting is designed by, and under the supervision of the principal executive officer and principal financial officer and effected by the Company’s Board of Directors, management, and others. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Management has evaluated the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017 using the criteria set forth in the Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”). A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. In connection with management’s assessment of our internal control over financial reporting described above, management identified deficiencies that in the aggregate constituted a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017.

The material weakness identified related to deficiencies resulting from the insufficient finance and accounting department resources with appropriate knowledge, expertise and training commensurate with the Company’s corporate structure and financial reporting requirements to effectively assess risk, design, operate and oversee internal controls over financial reporting. This lack of appropriate resources was realized as the result of: the resignation of the Company’s corporate controller during the fourth quarter of 2017; the utilization of resources in designing and structuring the Company’s strategic transformation of its business platform model from a for-sale homebuilding to commercial development, asset management and real estate services; and the utilization of available resources in the evaluation, negotiation and execution processes related to the Company’s entry into a long term Master Asset Management Agreement signed by CDS Asset Management, L.C., an entity wholly owned by the Company, with Comstock Development Services LC, on March 30, 2018. Refer to Note 22 to the consolidated financial statements for further discussion of this transaction. This lack of appropriate resources resulted in inconsistent expectations and execution related to the preparation, review and maintenance of documentation critical to the design and consistent execution of internal controls as well as a lack of segregation of duties in certain controls. Further, the lack of appropriate resources resulted in controls that relied upon information that did not have sufficiently precise controls around accuracy and completeness of that information and was therefore not reliable. These factors contributed to deficiencies in the Company’s financial reporting process due to a lack of precision in the review controls over certain information and assumptions impacting various financial reporting areas including those items that are nonrecurring in nature and therefore bear a greater degree of complexity given their infrequency.

As a result of the identified material weakness, management has concluded that we did not maintain effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017. Despite the material weakness, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that the consolidated financial statements and notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this report fairly present in all material respects our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented.

Material Weakness Remediation

Management is actively engaged in the planning for, and implementation of, remediation efforts to address the material weakness identified in a timely manner. Specifically, we are taking numerous steps that we believe will address the underlying causes of the material weakness, primarily through the hiring of additional accounting personnel with technical accounting and financial reporting experience, the enhancement of our training programs within our accounting department, and the enhancement of our internal review procedures during the financial statement preparation process.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

No change has occurred in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) during our last fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2017, that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

The certifications of our principal executive officer and principal financial officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) are filed with this Annual Report on Form 10-K as Exhibits 31.1 and 31.2. The certifications of our principal executive officer and principal financial officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C.1350 are furnished with this Annual Report on Form 10-K as Exhibit 32.1.

Item 9B. Other Information

None.

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PART III

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference to the definitive Proxy Statement to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act for our 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders or the Annual Report on Form 10-K, except that the information relating to our executive officers is included in Item 1, “Business – Executive Officers” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Item 11. Executive Compensation

The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference to the definitive Proxy Statement to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act for our 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders or the Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference to the definitive Proxy Statement to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act for our 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders or the Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference to the definitive Proxy Statement to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act for our 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders or the Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services

The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference to the definitive Proxy Statement to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act for our 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

PART IV

Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

(a) The following documents are filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K:

(1) Consolidated Financial Statements are listed in the Index to Financial Statements on page F-1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

(2) Schedules have been omitted because they are not applicable or because the information required to be set forth therein is included in the consolidated financial statements or notes thereto.

(3) Exhibits

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the date indicated.

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INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Stockholders and Board of Directors

Comstock Holding Companies, Inc.

Reston, Virginia

Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Comstock Holding Companies, Inc. (the “Company”) and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2017, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company and subsidiaries at December 31, 2017 and 2016, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2017, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Basis for Opinion

These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

/s/ BDO USA, LLP

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2016.

McLean, Virginia

April 20, 2018

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COMSTOCK HOLDING COMPANIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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COMSTOCK HOLDING COMPANIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(Amounts in thousands, except per share data)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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COMSTOCK HOLDING COMPANIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN

STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(Amounts in thousands, except per share data)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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COMSTOCK HOLDING COMPANIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Amounts in thousands, except per share data)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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COMSTOCK HOLDING COMPANIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Amounts in thousands, except per share data, number of units, or as otherwise noted)

1. ORGANIZATION

Comstock Holding Companies, Inc., incorporated in 2004 as a Delaware corporation, is a multi-faceted real estate development and services company primarily focused in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. In 2018, the Company has changed its focus to commercial development, asset management, and provision of complementary real estate related services, transitioning from its primary reliance upon revenue generated by production-oriented, for-sale homebuilding. To accomplish the transition from homebuilding to the new lines of business, the Company will operate through two real estate focused platforms – CDS Asset Management, LC (“CAM”) and Comstock Real Estate Services, LC (“CRES”). References in this Annual Report on Form 10-K to “Comstock,” “Company,” “we,” “our” and “us” refer to Comstock Holding Companies, Inc. together in each case with our subsidiaries and any predecessor entities unless the context suggests otherwise.

The Company’s Class A common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“NASDAQ”) under the symbol “CHCI”.

Liquidity Developments

We require capital to operate, to post deposits on new potential acquisitions, to purchase and develop land, to construct homes, to fund related carrying costs and overhead and to fund various advertising and marketing programs to generate sales. These expenditures include payroll, community engineering, entitlement, architecture, advertising, utilities and interest as well as the construction costs of our homes. Our sources of capital have historically included, private equity and debt placements (which has included significant participation from Company insiders), funds derived from various secured and unsecured borrowings to finance acquisition, development and construction on acquired land, cash flow from operations, which includes the sale and delivery of constructed homes and finished and raw building lots. The Company is involved in ongoing discussions with lenders and equity sources in order to obtain additional growth capital to fund various new business opportunities. See Note 10 for more details on our credit facilities and Note 15 for details on private placement offerings in 2017 and 2016.

As of December 31, 2017, $16.0 million of the Company’s secured project related notes were set to mature at various periods through the end of 2018. As of April 20, 2018, the Company has successfully extended or repaid all obligations with Lenders through April 20, 2018, as more fully described in Note 10 and Note 22, and we are actively engaging our lenders seeking long term extensions and modifications to the loans where necessary. These debt instruments impose certain restrictions on our operations, including speculative unit construction limitations, curtailment obligations and financial covenant compliance. If we fail to comply with any of these restrictions, an event of default could occur. Additionally, events of default could occur if we fail to make required debt service payments or if we fail to come to agreement on an extension on a certain facility prior to a given loan’s maturity date. Any event of default would likely render the obligations under these instruments due and payable as of that event. Any such event of default would allow certain of our lenders to exercise cross default provisions in our loan agreements with them, such that if we default on an obligation, all debt with that particular institution could be called into default.

At December 31, 2017, $14.9 million of our notes payable to affiliates were set to mature prior to the end of 2018. These funds were primarily obtained from entities wholly owned by our Chief Executive Officer, who has unilateral ability to extend the maturity dates beyond 2018 as needed. The current performance of our projects has met all required servicing obligations required by the facilities. We are anticipating that with successful resolution of the debt extension discussions with our lenders, the recently completed capital raises from our private placements, current available cash on hand, and additional cash from settlement proceeds at existing and under development communities, the Company will have sufficient financial resources to sustain its operations through the next 12 months, though no assurances can be made that the Company will be successful in its efforts. Refer to Note 10 for further discussion regarding extensions and Note 22 for other subsequent events impacting our credit facilities.

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2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

A summary of the significant accounting policies and practices used in the preparation of the consolidated financial statements is as follows:

Basis of presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) and include the accounts of the Company and all of its majority-owned and controlled subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. Investments in 50% or less owned partnerships and affiliates are accounted for using the equity method unless it is determined that the Company has control of the entity, in which case the entity would be consolidated. The Company had one joint venture investment accounted for using the equity method as of December 31, 2017 and 2016.

Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash

Cash and cash equivalents are comprised of cash and short-term investments with maturities of three months or less when purchased. At times, the Company may have deposits with institutions in excess of federally insured limits. We monitor the cash balances in our bank accounts and adjust the balance as appropriate. To date, we have not experienced loss or lack of access to our invested cash or cash equivalents; however, we can provide no assurance that access to our cash and cash equivalents will not be impacted by adverse conditions in the financial market. At December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company had restricted cash of $1.1 million and $1.2 million, respectively, related to restricted purchaser escrow deposits and cash held in escrow as collateral for letters of credit.

Trade Receivables

Trade receivables are recorded at the amount invoiced. We reduce accounts receivable by estimating an allowance for amounts that may become uncollectible in the future. Management determines the estimated allowance for uncollectible amounts based on their judgements in evaluating the aging of the receivables and the financial condition of our clients, which may be dependent on the type of client and the client’s current financial condition.

Real estate inventories

Real estate inventories include land, land development costs, construction and other costs. Real estate held for development and use is stated at cost, or when circumstances or events indicate that the real estate is impaired, at estimated fair value. Real estate held for sale is carried at the lower of cost or fair value less estimated costs to sell. Land, land development and indirect land development costs are accumulated by specific project and allocated to various units within that project using specific identification and allocation based upon the relative sales value, unit or area methods. Direct construction costs are assigned to units based on specific identification. Construction costs primarily include direct construction costs and capitalized field overhead. Other costs are comprised of fees, capitalized interest and real estate taxes. We also use our best estimate at the end of a reporting period to capitalize estimated construction and development costs. Costs incurred to sell real estate are capitalized to the extent they are reasonably expected to be recovered from the sale of the project and are tangible assets or services performed to obtain regulatory approval of sales. Other selling costs are expensed as incurred.

If the project is considered held for sale, it is valued at the lower of cost or fair value less estimated selling costs. The evaluation takes into consideration the current status of the property, carrying costs, costs of disposition, various restrictions and any other circumstances that may affect fair value including management’s plans for the property. For assets held for development and use, a write-down to estimated fair value is recorded when the net carrying value of the property exceeds its estimated undiscounted future cash flows. Estimated fair value is based on comparable sales of real estate in the normal course of business under existing and anticipated market conditions. These evaluations are made on a property-by-property basis whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the net book value may not be recoverable. As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company did not have any development projects considered to be held for sale.

Capitalized interest and real estate taxes

Interest and real estate taxes incurred relating to the development of lots and parcels are capitalized to real estate inventories during the active development period, which generally commences when borrowings are used to acquire real estate assets and ends when the properties are substantially complete or the property becomes inactive. A project becomes inactive when development and construction activities have been suspended indefinitely. Interest is capitalized based on the interest rate applicable to specific borrowings or the weighted average of the rates applicable to other borrowings during the period. Interest and real estate taxes capitalized to real estate inventories are expensed as a component of cost of sales as related units are settled.

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The following table is a summary of interest and real estate taxes incurred, capitalized and expensed for units settled:

The amount of interest from entity level borrowings that we are able to capitalize in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 835 is dependent upon the average accumulated expenditures that exceed project specific borrowings. Additionally, when a project becomes inactive, its interest, real estate taxes and indirect production overhead costs are no longer capitalized but rather expensed in the period they are incurred.

The following is a breakdown of the interest and real estate taxes expensed in the consolidated statement of operations for the periods presented:

Fixed assets

Fixed assets are carried at cost less accumulated depreciation and are depreciated on the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives as follows:

When assets are retired or otherwise disposed of, the cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from their separate accounts and any gain or loss on sale is reflected in operations. Expenditures for maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Goodwill represents the excess of the aggregate purchase price over the fair value of the net assets acquired in a business acquisition. Following an acquisition, we perform an analysis to value the acquired company’s tangible and identifiable intangible assets and liabilities. With respect to identifiable intangible assets, we consider backlog, non-compete agreements, client relations, trade names, patents and other assets. We amortize our intangible assets based on the period over which the contractual or economic benefits of the intangible assets are expected to be realized. We assess the recoverability of the unamortized balance of our intangible assets when indicators of impairment are present based on expected future profitability and undiscounted expected cash flows and their contribution to our overall operations. Should the review indicate that the carrying value is not fully recoverable, the excess of the carrying value over the fair value of the intangible assets would be recognized as an impairment loss.

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We test our goodwill for impairment on an annual basis, and more frequently when an event occurs or circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the asset may not be recoverable. We believe the methodology that we use to review impairment of goodwill, which includes a significant amount of judgment and estimates, provides us with a reasonable basis to determine whether impairment has occurred.

We perform our annual goodwill impairment review during our fiscal fourth quarter and our first annual review will be performed in 2018. In addition, we regularly evaluate whether events and circumstances have occurred that may indicate a potential change in recoverability of goodwill. We perform interim goodwill impairment reviews between our annual reviews if certain events and circumstances have occurred, including a deterioration in general economic conditions, an increased competitive environment, a change in management, key personnel, strategy or customers, negative or declining cash flows, or a decline in actual or planned revenue or earnings compared with actual and projected results of relevant prior periods.

The impairment test for goodwill is a two-step process involving the comparison of the estimated fair value of each reporting unit to the reporting unit’s carrying value, including goodwill. We estimate the fair value of reporting units based on a comparison and weighting of the income approach, specifically the discounted cash flow method and the market approach, which estimates the fair value of our reporting units based upon comparable market prices and recent transactions and also validates the reasonableness of the multiples from the income approach. If the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, the goodwill of the reporting unit is not considered impaired; therefore, the second step of the impairment test is unnecessary. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, we perform the second step of the goodwill impairment test to measure the amount of impairment loss to be recorded. If our goodwill is impaired, we are required to record a non-cash charge that could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements.

Warranty reserve

Warranty reserves for units settled are established to cover potential costs for materials and labor with regard to warranty-type claims expected to arise during the typical one-year warranty period provided by the Company or within the two-year statutorily mandated structural warranty period for condominiums. Because the Company typically subcontracts its homebuilding work, subcontractors are required to provide the Company with an indemnity and a certificate of insurance prior to receiving payments for their work. Claims relating to workmanship and materials are generally the primary responsibility of the subcontractors and product manufacturers. The warranty reserve is established at the time of closing, and is calculated based upon historical warranty cost experience and current business factors. This reserve is an estimate and actual warranty costs could vary from these estimates. Variables used in the calculation of the reserve, as well as the adequacy of the reserve based on the number of homes still under warranty, are reviewed on a periodic basis. Warranty claims are directly charged to the reserve as they arise. The following table is a summary of warranty reserve activity, which is included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities:

Revenue recognition

We recognize revenues and related profits or losses from the sale of residential properties and units, finished lots and land sales when closing has occurred, full payment is reasonably assured, title and possession of the property has transferred to the buyer and we have no significant continuing involvement in the property. Other revenues include revenue from land sales, rental revenue from leased multi-family units, which is recognized ratably over the terms of the respective leases and revenue from construction services which is recognized under the percentage-of-completion method.

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We consider revenue to be from homebuilding when there is a structure built or being built on the lot at closing when cash receipt is reasonably assured and the title is transferred along with the risks and rewards of ownership. Sales of lots occur, and are included in other revenues, when we sell raw land or finished home sites in advance of any home construction.

Revenues generated through real estate professional services such as management and administrative support, environmental design, engineering and remediation are recognized when the services have been provided, the benefits of the services are transferred to the customer and our performance obligations are satisfied.

Advertising costs

The total amount of advertising costs charged to operations for the year ended December 31, 2017 was $568, of which $560 was charged to sales and marketing and $8 was charged to general and administrative expenses. The total amount of advertising costs charged to operations for the year ended December 31, 2016 was $586, of which $542 was charged to sales and marketing and $44 was charged to general and administrative expenses.

Stock compensation

As discussed in Note 14, the Company sponsors stock option plans and restricted stock award plans. The Company accounts for its share-based awards pursuant to Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 718, Share Based Payments. ASC 718 requires all share-based payments to employees, including grants of employee stock options, to be recognized in the financial statements over the vesting period based on their fair values at the date of grant. For the year ended December 31, 2017, total stock based compensation cost was $405 of which, $346 was charged to expenses within ‘general and administrative’ and ‘cost of sales-other’ in the consolidated statement of operations, and $59 was capitalized to ‘Real estate inventories’. For the year ended December 31, 2016, total stock based compensation cost was $86 of which, $69 was charged to expenses within ‘general and administrative’ and ‘cost of sales-other’ in the consolidated statement of operations, and $17 was capitalized to ‘Real estate inventories’.

Income taxes

Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method in accordance with ASC 740, Accounting for Income Taxes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax basis. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect of a change in tax rates on the deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. We provide a valuation allowance when we consider it “more likely than not” (greater than a 50% probability) that a deferred income tax asset will not be fully recovered. Adjustments to the valuation allowance are a component of the deferred income tax expense or benefit in the consolidated statement of operations.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was enacted on December 22, 2017 with an effective date of January 1, 2018. The results of the Tax Act include, among others, a reduction to the corporate federal income tax rate from 35% to 21%, the repeal of the Alternative Minimum Tax, and the allowance of net operating losses arising in tax years ending after 2017 to be carried forward indefinitely, subject to limitation. The law introduces substantial changes to the Internal Revenue Code, with extensive implications for our federal current and deferred income tax provision. For further information, see Note 19 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statement included in this report.

Loss per share

The weighted average shares and share equivalents used to calculate basic and diluted loss per share for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 are presented on the consolidated statement of operations. Restricted stock awards, stock options and warrants for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 are included in the diluted loss per share calculation using the treasury stock method and average market prices during the periods, unless the restricted stock award, stock options and warrants would be anti-dilutive.

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As a result of net losses for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, diluted net loss per share excludes the effects of common stock equivalents consisting of restricted stock awards and warrants, which are anti-dilutive. The following number of shares have been excluded from consideration in the calculation of diluted net loss per share were:

As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, warrants of 763 and 851, respectively; stock options of 666 and 404, respectively; and restricted stock awards of zero and 22, respectively; were excluded from the table above as the shares related were considered anti-dilutive as a result of the treasury method calculation.

Comprehensive income (loss)

For the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, comprehensive income (loss) equaled net income (loss); therefore, a separate statement of comprehensive income (loss) is not included in the consolidated financial statements.

Segment reporting

During 2017 and 2016, we operated our business through three segments: Homebuilding, Multi-family and Real Estate Services. We are focused on the Washington, D.C. market. In 2018, we revised our business strategy and transitioned our business operations to three operating segments; Homebuilding, Asset Management and Real Estate Services.

In our Homebuilding segment, we develop properties with the intent to sell as fee-simple properties or condominiums to individual buyers or to private or institutional investors. Our for-sale products are designed to attract first-time, early move-up, and secondary move-up buyers. We focus on products that we are able to offer for sale in the middle price points within the markets where we operate, avoiding the very low-end and high-end products.

In our Multi-family segment we focus on projects ranging from approximately 75 to 200 units in locations that are supply constrained with demonstrated demand for stabilized assets. We seek opportunities in the multi-family rental market where our experience and core capabilities can be leveraged. We will either position the assets for sale when completed or operate the asset within our own portfolio. Operating the asset for our own account affords us the flexibility of converting the units to condominiums in the future.

In our Real Estate Services segment we pursue projects in all aspects of real estate management including strategic planning, land development, entitlement, property management, sales and marketing, workout and turnaround strategies, financing and general construction. We are able to provide a wide range of construction management, environmental assessments and remediation services, and general contracting services to other property owners.

The following disclosure includes the Company’s three reportable segments of Homebuilding, Multi-family and Real Estate Services. Each of these segments operates within the Company’s single Washington, D.C. reportable geographic segment.

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